Affectionate Names

Chairman Kim Jong Il personally named not a few subunits of the Korean People’s Army with affection. They include Tabaksol company (young pine company), Kamnamu company (persimmon company), Tulkot company (wild flower company), Solbat company (pine grove company) and so on. One of them is Tolbaenamu battalion (wild pear tree battalion), a name overflowing with the flavor of a picturesque mountain village.

Visiting a subunit of the Korean People’s Army one day, Kim Jong Il found tall wild pear trees in the compound of barracks. He admired the ardent patriotic spirit glowing in the hearts of battalion soldiers and spoke highly of them.

While looking round the battalion with great satisfaction, he stopped before a gigantic wild pear tree standing near the dinning hall.

A commanding officer told him that the tree was 60 years old and after a meal in summer soldiers would sit around the tree to enjoy a rest for a while.

Saying he was deeply impressed with so many wild pear trees and the longer he saw them, the more he marveled, Kim Jong Il went on that now there was Tabaksol company, Kamnamu company, Tulkot company and Kamnamu battalion in the People’s Army and this was Tolbaenamu battalion (wild pear tree battalion) and Tolbaenamu battalion appeared along with the Songun era.

The affectionate name reflects the high praise of Kim Jong Il on the unknown efforts and warm sincerity of soldiers of the People’s Army to enrich the forests of the country in support of the noble will of the Workers’ Party of Korea. It also expresses his great expectation they would, in future too, lead the worthwhile patriotic work to increase the wealth of the country.